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Author
Topic: Allergies and HIV: (Read 4858 times)

I took a food and chemical sensitivity allergy test which was recommended by my nutritionist. I did so because I have been having strange skin stuff for the past couple of years. Wasn't getting anywhere with dermatologists and docs.

I never had allergies until I took this test last year, before joining this forum. I understand you can develop them at any time, so says my nutritionist, and I've had to completely rearrange my lifestyle and eating habits around them along with the meds I take. It has made me eat much healthier, and I think has improved some of my skin problems. But it is a real pain.

This test is not FDA approved, and about 40% of the docs I go to believe in it, including my derm, but others, like my primary don't. Just wondered if anyone else has taken this, or all of a sudden have developed allergies out of no where.

By the way, this forum and it's members has been a great help in suggesting what works and doesn't work for their skin problems. A lot of your suggestions have worked. Just wonder where allergies fit into all this. And also if this test may not be really trustworthy and I'm doing all this for nothing.

I'm a long termer, almost 23 years, so it would seem weird that just last year I found out I'm allergic to wheat, corn, potatoes, cow's milk, yogurt, a bunch of spices, and chemicals like Tyramine, and Polysorbate 80. Just a few I'm listing. Ate or used them before and I never had a problem.

I've had Allergies all of my life, don't know if they are food Allergies, but I doubt that they are, I get them every Spring & Fall, and have to take 50mg of DIPHENYDRAM (benidrill) it seems to help my Allergies, and they aren't as bad as they were when I lived in Northern Calif. 8 yrs ago compared to New Mexico, this medication is also great for bee-strings, insect-bites, and haves if you have food Allergies, then you might want to ask Mark, he has them, and might be able to suggest some kinda diet, at the very least you guys can compare notes it couldn't hurt to shoot-him a PM

« Last Edit: March 21, 2010, 01:30:13 PM by denb45 »

Logged

"it's so nice to be insane, cause no-one ask you to explain" Helen Reddy cc 1974

One word caught my eye in your list of allergies: TYRAMINE. Tyramine isn't a chemical. It's a pretty common amino acid, a compound that naturally occurs in LOTS of foods: alcohol, cheeses, pickled foods, smoked foods, lots of cured meats, beans, nuts, bananas, avocados, chocolate! The list goes on and on. I'd google the word and find out exactly what it is so you can get a list of foods. You may not be able to (or want to) avoid all of them, but you can monitor what bothers you most and pick and choose. Education is a beautiful thing. Good luck with it!

I don't think I have any food allergies but I developed allergies after moving out to Arizona from Long Beach, CA. It started with what I thought was just sinus problems. My PCP told me that it was common with HIV (Tested poz in 1986). The problem in AZ is all the non-native plant's people have brought into the state, when they came here to get relief from allergies elsewhere.

My PCP hasn't done anything about testing me but I may have to insist on it. I'm tired of putting up with the seasonal problems on top of the side affects from meds. My body seems to go in cicles of every three days not being able to handle the combination of meds both HIV and other: Prezista, Norvir, Truvada, Acyclovir, Plavix, Metoprolol, Liniopril and Lipitor.

This last couple of years I've been getting rashes on my arms but it might be sensitivity to sunlight. My PCP suggested wearing long sleeve shirts.

I hope you get more information and will I'll keep reading this thread to see what you have been able to find out.

Just wanted to say thanks to all of you for the information and sharing your experiences. Thanks Dan about Tyramine. I'm aware it is in a lot of stuff, and may be a trigger. I try to stay away from anything that is fermented, over ripe bananas, things like that. But I'm also trying not to let this wicked diet run my life completely. Eating out is a bear. Generally I have an outbreak the next day even if I am super careful about what I order. But just have to live with it. Never would have known I had any of this until my nutritionist tested me about a year ago.